Before she ever coached Camryn Callaghan at Upper Arlington (Ohio), Morgan Fee Maldovan encountered Callaghan on the club level.
Back then, Maldovan was more involved in the college circuit than the high school circuit, serving as an assistant at Ohio State and then Kent State.
Her first impression of Callaghan?
“I was like, ‘This is a kid I want at my school,’” Maldovan said. “‘This is somebody who I want to see playing at the next level and somebody who I would recruit myself.’”
Little did Maldovan know she would get the chance to coach Callaghan before she ventures to college, with Callaghan next set to take the field for the University of Cincinnati.
Their lone season together with the Golden Bears was a remarkable one, with the Ohio Player of the Year notching a whopping 130 points, including a team-leading 98 goals, en route to earning USA Lacrosse Midwest Girls’ Player of the Year honors.
“It was definitely one to remember, that’s for sure,” Callaghan said. “I would not be here without my team, though. Our coaches taught us to be disciplined and humble and always try and set your teammates up for success, and I think that’s what got me here.”
In that spirit, Callaghan said she was more proud of her 32 assists than her 98 goals. After all, her main goal entering 2022 had been to increase her assists. The senior ended up tripling her 2021 total.
“That was definitely one of my personal goals,” Callaghan said. “I wasn’t really paying attention to my stats, but the assists is probably the most important one to me because I just think that’s really what describes our team is just setting other people up and looking for the open pass.”
Beyond her 98 goals and 32 assists, Callaghan was among the Golden Bears’ leaders in caused turnovers (19), draw controls (50) and ground balls (34).
That versatility wasn’t exactly a surprise given Callaghan’s background as a midfielder.
Indeed, Callaghan might have remained a midfielder if not for a pair of hamstring injuries last year that convinced the Golden Bears to put her on the attack to try to reduce the pressure on her legs. As the 2022 season dawned, Maldovan and her assistants decided to leave Callaghan and Rian Adkins on the attack and allow the two to mentor a young group of midfielders.
“I was originally just going to play attack just for the rest of the year my junior season, but it ended up going very well and I did well there,” Callaghan said. “So, I was like, and my coaches were like, ‘Well, maybe she’s an attacker.’ So in the summertime, I played attack also with my club team, and it ended up being a perfect fit for me.”
It didn’t take long to realize how good Callaghan was on the attack, as she scored seven goals apiece in Upper Arlington’s opening victories over St. Francis DeSales (Ohio) and Thomas Worthington (Ohio).
“She’s able to miraculously get open out of faceguards,” Maldovan said. “She can get open out of picks and screens, and her shot is unspeakable. It is one of the fastest shots I’ve ever seen. Her release point is immaculate, and she can turn and see the cage from any point of view on the field and just rip corners, and she’s smart with her shot selection.”
Indeed, Callaghan was good from start to finish, scoring at least four goals in each of the Golden Bears’ final four games, two at the regional level and two at the state level.
“Those bigger games, they make me nervous, but I think nerves are good,” Callaghan said. “It means I’m excited, it means I care, and I just take those nerves and put it out on the field.”
Seemingly the bigger the stage, the better Callaghan was. Against eventual Illinois state champion New Trier, the senior tallied four goals. Against traditionally strong Medina, Callaghan totaled 10 points (six goals, four assists). Against a Jackson team that made state, Callaghan had six points (four goals, two assists).
“She was phenomenal in every game we played and contributed all over the board, not just with goals and assists,” Maldovan said. “Every game was a lights-out game for Cam. She would score anywhere between three to seven goals per game, and it would just kind of be like, ‘Alright, yeah, we’re good. We’ve got it figured out.’”
Callaghan didn’t just give the Golden Bears confidence in 2022, Maldovan said. The Upper Arlington senior also set a tone for the future.
“She’s definitely one of the players that we’re going to miss a lot, but she set so many high standards for everybody that everybody wants to live up to those standards,” Maldovan said. “Everybody is putting in their work. They want to get better on the field, and it started with Cam and her work ethic and her leading by example, both on and off the field.”
FINAL MIDWEST TOP 10
1. New Albany (Ohio), 21-2
The Eagles avenged their lone losses of the year at the state tournament, topping Jackson (Ohio) in the semifinals and Upper Arlington (Ohio) in the title game. New Albany, which also picked up an impressive win over New Trier (Ill.), benefited from a plethora of weapons, with Abby Cole (72 goals), Ellie McClelland (60), Katie Kaucheck (55), Mary Carson (42) and Maddy Paz (42) all topping 50 points. Previous: 1
2. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 22-1
The Golden Bears' quest for an undefeated season ended with a 13-12 loss to New Albany in the state title game. While Camryn Callaghan was particularly stellar, with 22 goals over Upper Arlington’s final four games and 130 points on the season, Rian Adkins, Kampbell Stone and Lilly Stelzer all impressed with 40-plus goals. Previous: 2
3. New Trier (Ill.), 24-2
Rallying from deficits of 6-2 and 9-4, the Trevians won their state title game clash against Hinsdale Central (Ill.) on a Grace Curry goal in overtime. While junior Kennedy Meier shattered the program’s single-season draw controls record with 150, New Trier’s balance arguably stood out most of all with five players topping 60 points this season in Claire Ratke, Emma Curry, Grace Curry, Addie Shevitz and Meier. Previous: 3
4. Loyola Academy (Ill.), 17-6
While a pair of one-goal losses to Land of Lincoln champion New Trier (Ill.) hurt and ultimately deprived them of their shot at a state title, the Ramblers didn't have a bad loss all season while recording impressive wins over the likes of Collegiate (Va.) and Hill Academy (Ont.). Loyola loses two all-time greats to graduation in Davidson commit Adrienne Leone (80 goals, 26 assists) and Notre Dame commit Maeve Dwyer (63 goals, 40 assists, 94 draw controls, 37 caused turnovers, 30 ground balls). Previous: 4
5. Guerin Catholic (Ind.), 20-0
Unflappable all year, the Golden Eagles had the perfect response after Carmel (Ind.) tied their state title contest, as senior Mariah Ross deposited the game-winner for the program’s first championship. Guerin Catholic was sterling on the defensive end all season, surrendering fewer than five goals per game, and balanced on the attack, led by senior Ella Bellflower and juniors Caitlin Carter and Clare Alic. Previous: 5
6. University School of Milwaukee (Wisc.), 19-1
The Wildcats ended the season in dominating fashion, beating their last seven opponents by 15-plus goals. Three different USM players tallied at least 100 points: Grace Tuttle (90 goals, 45 assists), Molly Janssen (74 G, 42 A) and Brooke Robinson (60 G, 54 A), while Abby Sisson (94 points) finished just shy of the century mark. Previous: 6
7. Jackson (Ohio), 20-2
The Polar Bears gave the eventual champion, New Albany, a heck of a battle in the state semifinals, including four goals from Lauren Pallotta. After battling a knee injury earlier in her career, Pallotta played a starring role for the Polar Bears, whose defense also stood out as they surrendered a mere 5.4 goals per game. Previous: 7
8. East Grand Rapids (Mich.), 18-2
Lizzie Lundeen ended her high school career in style with a hat trick in the state title game against Detroit Country Day (Mich.), including the game-winner in overtime. Lucy Cavanaugh and the LaMange sisters (Eliana and Vivian) also played starring roles while Caroline Potteiger was stellar in net. With the Pioneers graduating eight, including Cavanaugh, Lundeen, Potteiger and Eliana LaMange, a fourth straight title won’t come easy. Previous: 8
9. Kentucky Country Day (Ky.), 24-3
The Bearcats' 24-win campaign included an absurd 152-point season from Sarah Beth Burns (92 goals, 60 assists) while Megan Robertson (55 goals, 38 goals) also approached the 100-point mark. The Bearcats’ lone losses came to state-qualifying teams out of Kentucky and Tennessee. Previous: T10
10. Hinsdale Central (Ill), 20-5
The Red Devils forced overtime in their state title game against New Trier (Ill.) despite playing without midfielders Angie Conley (Notre Dame) and Lanie Randle. Riley Matthews racked up 70 assists, while fellow seniors Annette Ciupek and Tessa Howe and juniors Emily Brankin and Reese Napier tallied 48-plus goals. Previous: T10